What Will Giants’ Landon Collins Contract Extension Look Like?

New York Giants, Landon Collins
Dec 24, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; New York Giants safety Landon Collins (21) heads to the locker room after suffering an injury against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

While the media has taken hold of Odell Beckham Jr.’s impending mega-deal and jumbled it into a whole mess of sensationalism and neglect, there’s another New York Giants player that is in need of a contract extension. Star safety Landon Collins is patiently waiting to cash in, hiding behind the curtain of Beckham.

If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that Collins has earned his contract fair and square. He leaves it all on the field even if his team is being blown out, and he is a durable player. Collins was injured in the second-to-last game of the 2017 season, breaking his arm in which saw him receive two surgeries, one of them to restructure the healed bone recently.

What kind of contract will the Giants offer him?

Having a star safety to patrol the middle of the field is essential in this day and age, and Collins fits the bill perfectly. He’s everything you want in a safety – strong, agile, powerful, instinctual, intuitive, you name it. He checks all of the boxes.

Let’s take a look at several other star safeties to break down what Collins might earn from the Giants.

Star safety for the Kansas City Chiefs, Eric Berry, is earning $13 million per-season, followed by Reshad Jones (Dolphins) at $12 million, and the recently retired Kam Chancellor at $12 million. These were/are the top safeties in the game, and Collins’ name should be right alongside them.

Being that Collins is only 24 years old, Eric Berry is 29 years-old, he still has plenty of room to grow and develop in a transition 3-4 Giants defense. Coming off a broken arm is always questionable, but we should see a 100% recovery. If Collins can prove to be dominant in 2018, he could receive a contract in the $11-12 million range. That would be hefty for a safety, but deserving considering the influence he brings to the defense and team as a whole.

The Giants could decide to use the franchise tag on Collins, but it wouldn’t be in their best interest since he could decide to leave the following year and the salary cap would be clogged up with a max contract. If the Giants sign him to a long-term deal, they can work around the numbers and plan for the future. Nonetheless, I assume the deal will get done next season, as the Giants still have another year on his rookie deal.